Personal flotation type watercraft have become very popular for use in fishing and other water activities. In particular the inflatable pontoon type personal watercraft has rapidly grown in popularity over the last few years. These watercraft typically consist of a pair of inflatable and streamlined pontoons, a deck, a pontoon connection structure and a means for securing the pontoons to the pontoon connection structure. A common means are straps, usually two for each pontoon which are connected to buckles which are permanently affixed to each side of the pontoons. These straps are then secured to the pontoon connection structure which in turn is attached to the deck. This type of watercraft offers a safer alternative to canoes, rafts and tube type craft. These type of craft are readily adaptable to electric and gasoline motors. They offer enhanced stability in rough water conditions.
Personal pontoon watercraft typically weigh fifty to eighty pounds. The loading and transporting of such a watercraft without deflating the pontoons and disassembling the pontoons from the deck structure is time consuming. A transport device is needed that will provide for the ease of loading of the watercraft and provide for it to be secured to a vehicle for transport in a fully assembled and fully inflated configuration. Because of the length of the typical personal pontoon watercraft, the watercraft would need to be transported in a tipped up position if it is to be attached to the rear of a vehicle. For ease of use, the device needs to be attachable to a standard trailer hitch. While various types of racks for personal watercraft and other types of sports accessories appear in a prior art, none provide for the transport of pontoon type personal watercraft by attachment to and suspension from a standard trailer hitch.
It is therefore the objective of the present invention to provide a transport rack for pontoon type personal watercraft.
It is the further objective of the present invention to provide a transport rack for a pontoon type personal watercraft that is attached to and suspended from a typical trailer hitch.
It is the further objective of the present invention to provide a personal pontoon watercraft transport rack which will facilitate the attachment of the watercraft to the rack while the watercraft is in a horizontal position on the ground or on water, provide for tipping of the watercraft and the rack from a down or load position to an up or transport position after being attached to the rack and provide for lowering of the watercraft and the rack from the transport position to the load position with the watercraft on or near the ground or on or near the water for ease of unattaching and unloading the watercraft.